Hotelier Harris Rosen pledges college money for Parramore kids

Hotelier Harris Rosen is pledging to pay for the college educations of children in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood, modeling the effort after the nationally recognized Tangelo Park program that he started 20 years ago.

But several other pieces have to fall into place, including additional donors and educational programs, before plans can move forward, said Rosen's governmental consultant, Angel de la Portilla.

Orlando Commissioner Daisy Lynum said the guarantee of college scholarships has the potential to transform Parramore, a downtown community with about 2,000 children that has struggled for decades with poverty and crime.

"This is a great big deal," Lynum said. "The ultimate result could be being able to bring African-American middle-class families back into Parramore, which has been our goal."

Rosen hasn't specified yet exactly how much he would contribute. He would not comment for this story, saying his efforts are still in the early stages.

To make it happen, Rosen envisions an early-childhood program that aligns preschools with a full-day pre-kindergarten, as well as completion of a public kindergarten-to-eighth-grade school slated to open in 2017 in Parramore, de la Portilla said.

Rosen made national news after he promised to pay for the educations of every Tangelo Park student who got into college.

The program, which started in 1994, also includes preschool for every 2-, 3- and 4-year-old in the neighborhood; parenting classes or vocational training for parents; and full tuition, room, board and living expenses for Tangelo Park high-school graduates. It has paid huge dividends for the modest neighborhood tucked behind several of Rosen's hotels along International Drive.

It also involves close partnerships with the public schools in the neighborhood and other community organizations.

More than 300 students have received the scholarships, and 647 have taken part in the preschool programs, program managers say. Rosen has spent $10.2 million on it so far.

The neighborhood has become more stable and crime has dropped, according to data tracked by Charles Dziuban, a University of Central Florida professor.

At a Tangelo Park Program board meeting last week, Rosen said the success delights him, but he has been disappointed by one thing.

"Our dream goal has always been to see this program replicated," he said. "We haven't been very successful in having it replicated."

Several years ago, frustrated that other philanthropists haven't started similar programs, he began looking into duplicating it himself, his advisers said.

And in partnership with Orange schools, Parramore has become his next target.

His work would come under the umbrella of Orange schools' Philanthropic Strategic Plan, which includes a goal of expanding access to full-day pre-K programs modeled on the Tangelo Park model, said Debi Pedraza, development director for the school district.

"We're so blessed to have a benefactor like Harris Rosen," said School Board Chair Bill Sublette. "The work he has done in Tangelo is nothing short of remarkable."

In Parramore, the district is planning a new K-8 school that Sublette said will be "a jewel in our crown." It is envisioned as a community hub that will be open into the evening to offer social services.

A version of the Tangelo Park program "would be a tremendous benefit for our children in that community," saidSuperintendent Barbara Jenkins.

De la Portilla said high turnover among Parramore's residents means the program will need to adapt.

"Parramore poses vastly different challenges," he said, adding that is one of the reasons Rosen wants to see the preschool component start quickly.

"We want to make sure these families are committed from Day One to keep the kids in school," he said.